He pulled the clothing to see his belly only to find strange symbols similar to those on the apple he ate, aligned into a single word. He guessed that it was related to the temporary pain running across his body just bit ago. Not to mention, a process of embedding tatoo on one's body would indeed be quite the painful experience, not as much as what he just felt though. It would've just been on the skin, not something tearing the nervous system apart.
As he looked closely a the... tatoo on his torso, a word etched in his mind that somehow resonated with him. He felt like it called out to him and merged into him, becoming a part of his very being. Weird as it was, he felt an unexplainable familiarity with it.
"Karma... huh?"
Surprisingly, he understood what the symbols said. It indeed meant Karma. It seemed like a gift the tree before had for him. By what he had learned so far, the creepy guy before would know about the seed, the mind world, the apple and symbols. He would be the one resposible for the resurrection.
With that in mind, Bryce knew what to do at the moment. He would seek out for the man's whereabouts and have him answering all the questions he had as well as confirming his theories. After all, it was in Bryce's nature to know people's intentions whether they directly or indirectly contrubuted the good things on his way. It would be hard for him to trust anyone, especially after the death of Lily.
...
On the quite streets only consisted of a swordmaiden, a girl dressed in the flashy and manly manner alonside a short man wearing contact lenses. The group of three were taking a stroll around the street while heading to the location that the man claimed their special individual would be at.
"If we keep going at this speed, the guy might have gone home already." The tomboyish girl frowned.
"You kids should put at least some faith in me. I never guessed wrong after all."
"But, you never told exactly when and sometimes we were even in a pinch thanks to your guesses."
"Not like I expected anything from a crazy fisherman."
"Hey now, don't bring that up. I was just loving it too much is all." He chuckled.
"I hope you're right this time." She let out a deep sigh.
The swordmaiden with long deep blue hair remained silent, lost it thought unlike her talkatives companions. The image of a figure stabbing something into the poor girl, turning her into a monstrosity was something not to be taken lightly. However, she did not want to concern the others too soon. For her, it was not the appropriate time. Before the other noticed anything strange in her behavior, she snapped herself back to the real world and walked with them normally. Firstly, she would have to see how special the guy that they went all the way for could be.
Finally arriving at the location, they stood in front of an abandoned factory. Normally climbing through the fences would be the only way in. But thankfully there was a big manmade hole to traverse through. The tomboyish girl went it first, followed by the other two. They walked through a hallway of machinery and equipments then arrived at the unlocked double door.
They opened it and found themselves in a reasonably huge yard with a few trees and bushes. They looked around only to find that the person they were looking for nowhere to be seen. Was it because they arrived too late? Or that the person never went here to begin with? The tomboyish girl turned to the man.
"See? You missed again. We should've just hijacked some car."
"But I don't know how to drive. None of you are even old enough to either." He rubbed his mustache.
"Ugh... fine." She grunted. "But how are we going to find him now?"
The swordmaiden walked forward and found to dry corpses. Next to a hole dug with shovels. There was also a puddle of blood on the ground but it had dried itself. She called the other two over to check the peculiar scene, with the expectations for an answer in mind.
"Dried blood... corpses... I see, so he did make it through after all. I wasn't wrong about him."
"He did?" Said the confused tomboyish girl.
"Indeed, the blood over there implied that someone was fatally wounded but survived. The seed I gave him needed blood for its nuture after all. Then it recovered his body by siphoning blood from these unforntunate felows."
"And?"
"The tree was no where to be seen, it only means that he survived and came back from death. This is just another of my assumption but I think he's still here."
"Really?" The girl looked around.
"Uncle, you saw him, did you not?" The swordmaiden turned to him.
The man nodded, confirming that the person they sought after was still around the place. They looked around once more when suddenly footsteps that weren't theirs could be heard from the double door. And there he was, a blonde lad wearing the same outfit as the two dry corpses. The man turned around to see the familiar face that he had seen during among the people confined in prison.
"Greetings, I trust that you've eaten the apple."
"So you were behind it after all, weirdo."
"Not you too, lad." He frowned slightly.
"Tell me what you know."
"What right do you think you have to-" The tomboyish girl growled.
"Cease it. He deserves it." The man stopped her. "I trust that you found some cryptic letters on your body. They are written in a language that only those chosen to be tainted could gasp."
Bryce listened, learning that the apple allowed him to understand the symbolic letters on his body as well as embedding it to his being. But then, what did he mean by tainted? Well, the man would explain it anyway.
"Tainted? Is that what I am now?"
"Yes, the apple you ate is known as a hollow heart. It doesn't necessarily have a fixed color, the theme can vary depending on which person it was made for. It is poisonious for anyone but those who experienced true despair."
"So that's how it is huh? Does being a tainted make you anything special?"
"Of course, each tainted has a batch of cryptic symbols embedded to their body, granting them access to capabilities beyond natural." The man held his hands together as he spoke.
According to him, Bryce was given a special ability of his own by the red hollow heart he ate a while ago. However, it didn't mean he would know what he could do or how to use it. At least he liked the gift fate had given him. It was indeed a one-of-a-kind chance for him to live on and do what he must.
Despite learning the information, it did not dictate his trust for the three in front of him. The two girls standing by the man's side didn't seem to trust him either. Yet, they came all the way for him. There must be something they wanted, something that only he could offer. They didn't look like the dastardy type like Ericson Goldsteam but one could never know enough. Caution was his only defense, doubt was his only option.
"Now then, why did you give me that seed? Why was it me that you chose?" Bryce focused his eyes on the man's face.
"Because I simply trust what I saw, young one. I have a hunch that you becoming a tainted would contribute a lot for what to come in the future days." He smiled, fixing his sleeves. "I almost forgot the introduction. A bit late but my name is Geofrey Owlman or just call me uncle G like some people did."
"You may know me as Mabel Grimblade." The swordmaiden stepped forward and bowed.
"I'm Luciette Cloudfield or just call me Lucy. Remember that well." The tomboyish girl spoke.
"I guess I should do the same huh. I'm Bryce, just that." the blonde lad scatched his head.
"Why are you dressing like the two corpses over there?" Lucy pointed at the other area near a dug hole.
"Long story, you wouldn't want to hear it." He sighed. "Geofrey, was it? Tell me, what would you need me for?"
That was what all of them were here for. Bryce was indirectly saved by the man so he wished to know his intentions. He wondered if they wanted help from his supposedly awakened ability or just wanted to confirm that he wouldn't be a threat, to which he could understand. No matter what reason it would be, he had the choice not to be affiliated with them. If he gave a no, it would always be a no.
"Actually, we would be grateful if you could join us on our next operation." Said Mabel, folding her hands.
"?"
"So old Geofrey here told us that you have greate technical skills and he would give you the dark seed as a compensation." Lucy averted her eyes.
"The seed?"
Bryce couldn't believe himself to have learned that all that pain and sorrow he had to go through was simply a trade gift. His eyes began to show irritation. The two girls backed away from Geofrey as if they didn't want to be involved with the man. Bryce folded his arms and glared at him.
"All that... and you still have the nerve to ask for my help?"
"Well, I have seen your criminal records. You talent could really help us-"
Bryce kicked his leg, knocking him over to the ground. Mabel and Lucy stood by as if they didn't know who Geofrey was. The man rolled on the ground as he held his harmed leg. Looking at the girls, he yelled.
"How could you two let him treat me like this? Whose side are you on?"
"I think you deserved it, uncle." Mabel turned her face away.
"You made us go through the same thing, even the asking for helping is similar." Lucy looked at him condescendingly.
"Gah, kids these days are so heartless." The man feign crocodile teers but it was clearly ineffective.
Ending it, Geofrey stood up and wiped the dust of his outfit. Bryce calmed down after that, not wanting to look like an idiot. The man approached him, extending his hand. The two girls looked to see if Bryce would agree with the request. He would be the one to make the call regardless. Bryce himself knew that he was still weak so reluctantly, he accepted to join them.
"Fine, count me in on whatever you plan to do."